Recently, Olympus rolled out the latest version of its Tough camera, the Olympus Tough TG-4. This camera stands out among its competitors for offering RAW capture in an underwater compact camera at a reasonable price. We shot both the predecessor, the Olympus Tough TG-3 (our previous review here), and the new camera, the TG-4, on our recent trip to Antigua and Barbuda, to give you a real world, in-the-ocean test and comparison of the two cameras in action. With the exception of the addition of RAW capture, there is very little difference between the two models. They have the same sensor and the same lens. The both have built-in wireless…
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When a camera first comes out, you’ll read a lot of reviews about specifications with a limited number of tests of the camera in action. When it comes to underwater cameras, you’ll find even less. What follows is my experience with the waterproof, shockproof Olympus Tough TG-3. If you’ve come for a technical review with lots of pixel peeping, you’ve come to the wrong place. This review is based upon my use of the Olympus Tough TG-3, which was put to the test on our trip to Anguilla. I had no expectations that the image quality would compare to my DSLR. I did want something that was portable and waterproof…
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The crystal clear water in the Caribbean begs you to explore below the surface. Whether you are a diver, a snorkeler, or just like to get your feet wet, there is a desire to capture the beauty of what we see below the surface. I took diving certification class, and although I was a wiz at the classroom work, due to some ear problems, I was unable to descend below 12 feet, but that didn’t mean I was giving up the desire to explore below the surface. On our trip to the BVI, I had a GoPro Hero2 which was a lot of fun to play with and capture video.…
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This week, I began “A Travel Story with Kevin Miyazaki,” an online course in travel photography hosted by Jessica Kaminski’s JsKool and featuring the talents of Kevin Miyazaki, a well-regarded professional photographer who has traveled the world shooting for publications such as Conde Nast Traveler, Martha Stewart Living, and The New York Times. Atop this post is part of our first assignment, one of three each week during this month-long class. So, I will be a bit busy over the next month, but I hope to learn better storytelling through photography, and I’ll post up some more shots once the class is completed. In the interim, enjoy these outstanding travel…
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After our trip every year, I look back and try to work on something for next year – – developing better technique, buying better gear, trying new things. This year, I’m trying an old thing – – film. My first “real” camera was a Canon Elan II, a gift from my husband when our children were young. I moved up to a Canon Elan 7n, and resisted moving to digital. I finally took the plunge into digital in 2007 with the purchase of a Canon 40D. Luckily, all of these cameras, and my current camera, a Canon 5D Mark II, use the same lenses, so I was able to move…
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Traveling light is becoming a priority for me with my camera gear, particularly once you realize how much difference good equipment makes to an image. With the Westcott Rapid Box Softbox, I was able to get the best of both worlds: a soft fill light for portraits which is lightweight and easy to carry. First, a bit about the need for a softbox for travel. People love shots of beautiful sunsets and gorgeous beaches, and love photos of themselves, friends or family experiencing them. However, they oftentimes find that they are in darkness as they find it difficult to expose both the backgrounds and the subjects properly. To properly expose…
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It’s time to start reviewing what photography gear I need to pack for this year’s trip. For travel, it’s important to keep things light, but you do want to make sure you have the gear to get the images you want. I have started keeping track of what I pack and what I use, and you can see my packing list and results from our past trips to Nevis, the British Virgin Islands, and Ireland by clicking those links. This year, we travel to Eleuthera! In anticipation of some great scenery, including the Glass Window Bridge and Lighthouse Beach, I’m beefing up my camera support. I’ve added a Gitzo monopod with…
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Travel writer and teacher, Kristin Mock, author of the insightful travel blog, kristinmock.com, interviewed me for her new feature, “One Question.” Kristin’s question for me was the topic of photographing people. You can read the feature on Kristin’s site here: http://kristinmock.com/one-question-with-wendy-gunderson-photographing-people/# As a photographer and a woman, how do you best approach people you’d like to take pictures of when you travel? And do you think being a woman affects the way you interact with people you’ve never met before, and if so, what advice would you give to budding photographers? One of the hardest things to do is to approach a stranger to take their photograph. Photography often attracts…
